Originally produced by Gibson from 1946, P-90s were one of the first mass-produced single-coil electric guitar pickups and have remained in regular production to this day.
Having been somewhat eclipsed by the PAF humbucker from the late '50s onwards, they have in recent years experienced a resurgence in popularity. We’re curious to hear why, so we catch up with Tim Mills at Bare Knuckle to get his take on the revival of the P-90.
“P-90s are characterised by a very wide, squat coil,” begins Tim. “They are traditionally wound with 42 [AWG] gauge plain enamel wire to around 10,000 turns. That’s the classic spec for an authentic vintage-style P-90. The early ones are typically Alnico III or, more commonly, Alnico II. The coils were nearly always unpotted and were propped up on wooden spacers – used to heighten or lower the coil – in a nickel tray.
“The early P-90s were characterised by a very shallow butyrate cover that just about covered the top to protect it. As you get to the late '50s/early '60s you find Alnico V magnets starting to be used more commonly, which was the biggest tonal shift up to that point. Moving further into the '60s, you see poly wire and clear plastic bobbins starting to be used, which can be fragile and prone to fracture. And as you get into the '70s, Gibson moves back to the more traditional black coil former.”
Prized for their dynamic sound, P-90s have found favour across a huge range of musical styles, as Tim explains.
“P-90s have quite a chunky, muscular wind on the coil,” he says, “and they have two bar magnets driving them, so they’re capable of producing quite a bit of output. There’s this lovely wide frequency response, which is typical of a single coil. With a P-90 you’ve got depth – extension in the bass, and lots of clear highs, but there’s this lovely drive in the midrange as well.
“There’s no hollowness. It’s a very strident sound. P-90s are extremely dynamic. They’re very responsive to the volume and tone pots: you can make them as dirty as you want, and you can clean them up as much as you want. They’re incredibly versatile.”
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In 1957, Gibson began introducing thePAF humbucker to its electric guitars and the new design soon began to overshadow the older P-90.
“P-90s are single coil, so there’s no hum cancelling going on, which was a real problem back in the day,” highlights Tim. “50/60 cycle hum was the enemy. As amplifiers got louder and more gain-y, mains and RF interference became more of an issue.
“But back then, electrics were nothing like as good as they are today. I use lots of single-coil pickups and I never have a problem with noise. Whether I’m recording at my computer, in a studio or at a gig.”
“After the PAF came along, cutting-edge guitar music became louder and heavier. People often associated the sound – and sight! – of Gibson humbuckers with those players. So P-90s were maybe viewed as a bit old-fashioned by some. But now people have gone back and they are rediscovering the P-90s. Over the past 10 to 15 years, there has been a huge resurgence in their popularity across the board.
“Early on at Bare Knuckle I was focusing on trying to make a P-90 that I could mount on a humbucker chassis because the biggest problem is the shape of them. So with the humbucker-sized P-90s we make you can get all of the P-90 tone in a humbucker shape.
“As long as you’ve got that wide, squat coil you can get that P-90 sound. Now, if you’ve got humbuckers and you want to get into P-90s, there’s nothing stopping you. Atall. Every regular-sized P-90 model Imake I do in humbucker size as well. Wedo seven-string versions, too.
“There’s nothing quite like a P-90. They sit so well between Fender-style single coils and a humbucking tone, but they also have their own vibe. To a certain extent they are the king of pickups.”
P-90s are extremely dynamic. They're very responsive to the volume and tone pots: you can make them as dirty as you want, and you can clean them up as much as you want. They're incredibly versatile.”
A humbucker's tonal profile is warmer and smoother than a P90, but they can still do styles like pop and jazz depending on how you utilize them. There's a reason they're so popular, and that's because you can cover a lot of ground with them.
If you are looking for a brighter tone and don't mind some hum, a P90 pickup is a good choice for you. If you are wanting a warmer tone with no hum, look into a humbucker. The "best" pickup is the one that gives you the tone you want - and fits your guitar!
P 90's do like to be close to the strings but if you prefer the sound of them further away that's fine – up to you and your ears. The closer a pickup is to the strings the louder it is.
The original P90 was invented by Gibson in 1946, replacing the 'bar' or 'blade' pickup that had been a standard on all Gibson guitars. The P90's time as the default Gibson pickup didn't last very long however as it was quickly usurped by the humbucker in 1957.
Prized for their dynamic sound, P-90s have found favour across a huge range of musical styles, as Tim explains. “P-90s have quite a chunky, muscular wind on the coil,” he says, “and they have two bar magnets driving them, so they're capable of producing quite a bit of output.
Characterised by their gritty, dirty nature, P-90s make for something of a tonal bridge between single coils and humbuckers. They're like the best of both worlds; the raspy raw sound of a single coil through a driven amp and the chunkier lower frequencies of a humbucker.
Being a single-coil design, the tone of a P-90 is somewhat brighter than a humbucker, though not quite as crisp and snappy as Fender's single-coil pickups. The tone therefore shares some of the single coil twang, but having large amounts of midrange and often described as “thick".
The FN P90 was an attempt to create an advanced personal defence weapon. It could be used to replace pistols, assault rifles, carbines or submachine guns ( SMG ). It is most similar to a submachine gun. It is supposed to be very light and compact.
On a P-90, wind both pickups counter clockwise but connect the braided shield lead wire on one pickup opposite of the other and attach the magnets with opposing polarity.
Unfortunately no, but it is very close. Including the wings a mini humbucker is 3.215″ by 1.13″. However, just the body without the wings is only 2.71″ long. A p90 is 3.3″ by 1.28″.
Its unique design, ambidextrous controls, and lightweight construction make it comfortable to handle and easy to operate. The 5.7x28mm cartridge provides excellent performance in terms of range, accuracy, and penetration.
Humbucker pickups offer benefits like reduced hum and noise, thick tone, high output, and versatility. They excel in rock, metal, and high-gain styles, providing a warm, powerful sound while minimising interference.
Many believe that a pickup's resistance directly correlates to its output. The higher the number, the hotter the pickup, right? Not necessarily. A pickup's resistance is actually a measure of how hard the current has to work to get through the wire coils.
When you want heat and grunge from a lower-output pickup, just crank it up—you can still get there via your amp's volume or gain controls, or a good booster or overdrive pedals.
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